


Nightly Lullaby

by rainbowRamen



Category: Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: Although Azura also kinda angsts sorta, Corrin angsts, F/F, Fluff and Angst, Fluffy Ending, Hoshido | Birthright Route, Hurt/Comfort, The Hoshidan and Nohrian siblings are mentioned
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-28
Updated: 2020-12-28
Packaged: 2021-03-10 18:27:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,049
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28151625
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rainbowRamen/pseuds/rainbowRamen
Summary: Corrin stresses over the final march on Krakenburg to take down Garon once and for all the night before. Thankfully, Azura's there to help ease the nerves.
Relationships: Aqua | Azura/My Unit | Kamui | Corrin
Comments: 2
Kudos: 18





	Nightly Lullaby

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Tyrux](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tyrux/gifts).



> This is dedicated to Tyrux, a dear friend of mine! This is actually my first time writing Azurrin and anything Fates, really, because I haven't actually played Fates, so this may be a little spotty in terms of characterization and setting, please forgive me in advance for that!! I really like Azura as a character though, both the Japanese and English versions of Lost in Thoughts are beautiful, especially the Blue Forest version of the Japanese one! I love it so much~
> 
> I hope you like it, Tyrux, and of course, everyone else who's reading this as well!

The undisturbed surface of the lake stirs slightly, glimmering in the pale light of the moon hanging high in the sky. Trees rustle as a gentle breeze passes by and carries a couple leaves along with it with no more than mere whispers of the wind. All alone, surrounded by only the silent lake and the murmuring trees is Corrin, her beautiful, long silver hair, deep red eyes staring down at the reflection of herself in the water. She thoughtlessly kicks her legs back and forth in the water as she taps her fingers against the ground on the edge of the lake, thoughts racing through her head, a contrast to the almost serene setting that surrounds her.

 _"Tomorrow, we'll march on Castle Krakenburg,"_ she remembers slamming the war planning table, _"so be sure to rest up plenty! Meeting adjourned. And remember, don't panic! If we all work together, we can win this. I'm sure we can."_

She bites her lip, watching the water around her feet ripple gently.

_"And remember, don't panic!"_

Sure, she'd said that to the others, but in reality, it'd been for herself. Even then, it hadn't really done any favors for her but to send her spiraling further into her anxious thoughts. Digging her fingers harder into the dirt, a soft sigh escapes Corrin's lips. She knows all too well that she'll probably have to kill her Nohrian siblings in the upcoming battle, the final march where they would take down Garon once and for all.

Do they really have to fight? Can't they find a way to cooperate and work together? Corrin continues to gaze at her own image reflected on the surface of the lake underneath her, as if wanting an answer. She shouldn't have sided with only one country. She should've tried to do _something_ much earlier. It's already too late.

Elise, Leo, Camilla, Xander - she'd have to kill all of them, _all of them--_

"Corrin?"

A serene voice interrupts her thoughts. Corrin whips around to face the person, worried that it might be an enemy, only for her shoulders to relax in relief upon seeing who it is. "Oh, Azura. Hello."

Azura takes a seat beside Corrin on the grass, raising an eyebrow at her, "What are you doing out here so late at night?"

Sighing, Corrin's gaze returns to her reflection, her shoulders sagging in defeat and worry. "I couldn't sleep. I'm just scared, you know? Tomorrow is the final battle. I'm going to have to fight and probably kill my Nohrian siblings," her hand clenches into a fist, "but why? Why can't we work together? Do we have to fight? They're family, just as much as Sakura, Hinoka, Takumi and Ryoma are. I don't understand."

"I agree with you." Azura nods, expression contorted into a frown. "Though, it's clear that neither Hoshido or Nohr are willing to back down. It's unfortunate, but it is what it is."

All at once, memories come rushing in. Images invade Corrin's mind. The sight of her Nohrian family's bodies, killed by her hand, their blood all over her. The fear of _facing_ them in battle. Sweat drips down her forehead as those mental visualizations come to life in her head, more vivid than the times they would haunt her in her dreams. Her body shakes like a leaf in the cold night air at the thought of their piercing screams. How she would kill them, cutting them down. Their cries of pain, of regret. All because of _her_ . Ending their lives with her sword, _killing them, murdering them all--_

Her panicked train of thought is thankfully interrupted by hands on her shoulders. When her vision comes back into focus and she returns to reality, gentle golden eyes and a worried expression greet her. "Are you okay?" The songstress's grip on her shoulders tightens upon Corrin instinctively tensing up at the contact in her daze, her rapid panting slowing to a crawl. "Calm down. It's just me."

"Azura?" Corrin shakes her head after a pause, trying to chase the images she knows probably will come true the next day out of her head, "Sorry, I got carried away." Azura removes her hands slowly, a small, sad smile on her face as her gaze returns to the lake around them.

"I know it's hard. It must be difficult," she says sympathetically, pursing her lips, "but...it can't be avoided. We tried all we could to get Nohr and Hoshido to work together, but we couldn't." Upon hearing Corrin whimper beside her, she sighs wistfully. "I do wish that we would've been able to find _something_ , _anything_ that the two can agree on."

Although hesitation is evident on Corrin's face, the girl just nods in agreement. "...Yeah. You're right. But when I think about them, about my _family_ , that I'll have to fight and kill them, it scares me." Her voice shakes a little as she continues, "Elise, Leo, Camilla, Xander, Nohrian or not, they're all family to me. I don't care what anyone says. Both my siblings in Hoshido and Nohr." Corrin's hands move to her lap, curling into fists. "It's always weighed on my mind. Every night I dream about it. _Every_ night, Azura! Of Xander's disappointment in me for choosing Hoshido, the looks of betrayal on _their_ faces. I don't care about Garon, but them? They're different. They're my _family!"_

Before she knows it, tears threaten to spill from the corners of her eyes. She can't erase the thoughts no matter how much she tries. This could've been avoided if she'd just _tried harder_ to find common ground between Nohr and Hoshido, and yet they're too far into the war to turn back. The last march on Krakenburg approaches fast. It's something she can't avoid, and yet she doesn't _want_ to do it. She's scared. Scared of spilling their blood, scared of hearing them scream in pain, scared of their tears as they lament over Corrin not having chosen them.

She's just scared. Worried. Anxious. That's all she is, all she can think about.

Azura pulls her closer, causing Corrin to yelp in surprise, but the familiar warmth soothes her. Tender arms wrap around her, a calming scent of the sea filling her nose. A voice that she's grown to love so much, soft and melodious, wraps around her as Azura comforts her, "It'll be okay. I know it's hard, but we have to do it. And I promise you, whatever it is that you do, even after all this is over, I'll always be with you. I'll stick by your side."

Corrin just nods, shifting a little closer into Azura's arms, comforted by her words, her embrace. Azura brings up a hand to gently stroke Corrin's head at this, fingers threading through silver locks. "Trust me. It'll all work out. The peace we've fought so hard for...once the war is over, no more blood will be spilled. I promise."

"...Okay." Corrin agrees after a pause, a faint hint of uncertainty laced in her voice, though much less than previously and looking more like the version of herself that Azura knows so well. "We'll win this. I know we will. Thank you, Azura."

The two remain like that, basking in the silence that emerges after, listening to the slow bubbling of the lake and the rustling of the leaves and the trees around them, the noise of the crickets at night. That's fine for Azura. Deep down, she's afraid as well. Like Corrin, she sees both the Nohrian family and the Hoshidan family as her siblings. Even though she _knows_ that she might not even live to see the peace she's long fought for, that's alright. As long as Corrin is happy, she doesn't mind. But for now, she'll embrace the calm, pleasant times that she can.

A voice pulls her out of her reverie, having drifted off somewhere in the silence. She'd forgotten that her hand is still on Corrin's head, but makes no effort to move it away. "Hey, Azura? I have a request..."

"What is it?"

"Could you sing me a song?" Corrin's face flushes a little as her lips curl upwards, "...I love hearing your voice. It soothes me..."

The question catches Azura off-guard, but she smiles, her heart fluttering a little at Corrin's words. "Sure. Any requests?"

Corrin laughs sheepishly, seemingly embarrassed by her own request, "Um...can you sing that song you always sing to heal people? It's so beautiful, and it always makes me feel better."

Ah, that song. The songstress unwraps her arms from around Corrin to remove her pendant, just so that she doesn't activate it by mistake, carefully placing it beside her so it won't drop into the lake, before she gets an idea. A pat on her lap is a signal to Corrin, who's surprised by the gesture. "A-are you sure?"

"Of course, that's why I'm offering," Azura reassures, "now get over here."

Though flustered and hesitant for a brief second, Corrin eventually does so, laying down and resting her head on Azura's lap, smiling in contentment. Azura giggles at this before she takes a breath and sings as requested.

_"You are the ocean's gray waves..."_

It's an odd feeling, singing the song without the pendant or the healing effects it usually carries. Now, in this moment, it's just an ordinary tune with nothing special about it. It's even more strange when Azura thinks about the setting - t's just her and Corrin alone, at the lake behind the castle, the night before the final march to defeat Garon and end things once and for all. Even more so when she gets the feeling, no, when she _knows_ what might become of her. She hopes that Corrin doesn't catch on to how her voice, usually full of conviction and determination, shakes a little, whether it be from nervousness of the inevitable battle coming up or something else. Thankfully, Corrin looks perfectly content when Azura glances down at her, a relaxed smile on her face, humming along with the song to herself. Seeing her like that fills Azura with a strange sort of satisfaction.

Is it the fact that she might not get to experience something like this ever again? Is it the freedom of being able to sing without the pressure of that _stupid_ pendant wearing down on her? She's not really sure, but as she continues to sing, the lyrics having engraved themselves in her mind ever since she was a child, she wants to capture this feeling forever. She'd forgotten how much she truly loved singing without fear of damaging herself more and more in the process. Perhaps it's because it makes her happy to see Corrin so... _calm._ So satisfied by something as simple as her voice.

By the time the song ends, Corrin's stopped humming. In fact, her breathing has slowed, her eyes closed, silver hair tumbling in waves over Azura's lap. Like this, Azura can't help but think that she looks so _pretty._ So graceful. Even though she'd been in tears and stressed in what feels like only mere seconds ago, she's the very definition of serene now.

"Oh, you," she shakes her head, laughing to herself. She places a hand on Corrin's head, patting it lightly so as to not wake the girl up. Her gaze returns to the expanse of the lake where she's always found solace in, her reflection looking back at her, and for the first time, staring back at it unnerves her more than anything else. Her eyes wander up to the dark, starless sky, the moon casting a faint glow on the lake surface.

That's right. Even if she doesn't live to see another day after the battle, even if she can't experience the peace they've fought so hard to attain, as long as she's by Corrin's side, it's fine. She just wants Corrin to be able to reach the end of her path. Nothing else. Of course, it would be _great_ if Azura could make it out without dying, but a part of her tells her that won't be the case. She doesn't know whether it will be, but for now, that doesn't matter. After all, she has a few hours to enjoy the remaining silence that she can.

**Author's Note:**

> Don't worry Corrin, Azura's voice soothes me too
> 
> WOO it's done! Despite knowing next to nothing about Fates and its plot I still really enjoyed writing this. Trust me guys I like the Nohrian royal family too the setting of this fic just called for the Birthright route hdkjfhdkj
> 
> Thanks for reading and see you again!
> 
> Once again I'd like to thank my AMAZING buddy [Beat](https://archiveofourown.org/users/softandhappy) for checking through for me!


End file.
